Malaysian Missing Plane: Geography Students Urged To Help In Hunt For MH370 Aircraft

Students light candles as they hold placards in solidarity with families of the passengers of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 plane during a candle light vigil at the university belt in Manila on March 13, 2014. Malaysia said on March 13 that satellite images of suspected debris from a missing jet were yet another false lead, and debunked a report the plane had flown on for hours after losing contact -- leaving the nearly week-old mystery no closer to being solved. AFP PHOTO/TED ALJIBE (Photo credit should read TED ALJIBE/AFP/Getty Images)

Students at a UK university campus based in Malaysia have been urged to help hunt for the missing plane, which disappeared almost a week ago.

Geography students at the University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus (UNMC) have been given the opportunity to join in the search for Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370.

Using the latest crowd-sourcing techniques for satellite image interpretation they will be able to join volunteers across the globe in the search for the missing aircraft.

Geospatial scientist Dr Tuong-Thuy Vu, a professor at the university, is an expert in disaster responses and crowd-sourcing.

HE says: “Earth Observation satellite platforms play an important role in every aspect of our life. They capture frequent and up to date images everywhere on Earth with the very latest synoptic views — up to 0.5 m resolution — of the Earth surface.

"In the area of emergency and post-disaster responses it is sometimes the sole data source when accessibility on the ground becomes impossible. As the search for flight MH370 enters its sixth day with ships, aircraft and helicopters, Earth observation satellite platforms have been deployed as another option.”

Dr Vu, who is working with international organisation DigitalGlobe to help search, has asked his students at UNMC if they will be willing to participate in the hunt.

The company is working with volunteers, who have been assigned a collection of satellite images to scour, in the hope of pinpointing any clues or wreckage.

Dr Vu adds: “I have looked at 40 tiles [images] so far, but no news yet. I also informed students today and asked if they want to participate. I also hope that satellite images of more extended area will be soon available.”

The mystery surrounding the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger plane deepened on Thursday morning after the Malaysian Transport Minister robustly dismissed a number of reports.

Officials confirmed they still know nothing, with a press conference this morning ending with lots of denials, little new information and still no sign of the plane.

There was yet another dramatic twist as Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein denied reports the missing Malaysia Airlines passenger jet may have flown for four hours, escalating the confusion over what is already one of the most baffling mysteries in modern aviation history.